The Diamond Keys: After Tartarus
by The World Of Rabbitleap
Summary: Sequel to The Diamond Keys! It's after the Tartarus arc and after lots of difficulties and heart breaks, people are in need of healing and training and so they're off until one year later. What kind of trouble will Lucy and her diamond keys get into? WARNING: Spoilers to recent manga chapters!
1. Chapter 1

**Important Note To New Readers: If you haven't read The Diamond Keys, then I suggest you read that first!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

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A week had passed after defeating Tartarus. The dragon slayers had a long, difficult battle against the demons and then later, Acnologia, managing to drive it away, but at a cost. "Thanks for regrowing my hair, Lucy-san," Wendy gave a smile as she played with her newly regrown hair.

"Don't worry about it, Wendy. I think your long hair fits you better!" Lucy gave a smile.

"Um, Lucy-san. I have a bit of a favor to ask of you," Wendy's smile dropped as her eyes cast to the floor.

Lucy felt more concerned, knowing Wendy was about to tell her some depressing information. "Um, I request my key back from you, Lucy-san," Wendy felt uncomfortable saying that.

Lucy's eyes grew wide, feeling like she did something wrong. Wendy cast her eyes to Lucy and realized Lucy was taking it the wrong way. "Please understand, Lucy-san! It's not like you did anything wrong. I just want to do more training to become stronger to help you even more, Lucy-san, so please don't take it the wrong way!" Wendy explained.

Lucy looked at the floor, forcing to hold back her tears. Lucy thought for moments, not wanting to give up Wendy's key, but at the same time, wanted to allow her to do what she wished. "I promise I'll come back to you and hand my key over again when I'm ready," Wendy gave a promise.

Lucy looked at her ring of celestial keys and pulled off Wendy's staring at it deeply. "Alright, I guess I can hand your key back over. Though, please return to me when you are prepared. I'll be sure to accept your key once more," Lucy held Wendy's key out to her.

Wendy gave a small smile. "Thank you, Lucy-san. I'm glad you understand," Wendy thanked Lucy.

Lucy gave a nod and smiled back. "I'll miss you, Wendy. Please, take care," Lucy and Wendy bid farewell.

Lucy walked up the street and she could here two sets of heavy footsteps behind her. She stopped and the footsteps behind stopped as well. She turned, surprised to see Laxus and Gajeel. "Bunny Girl, we're here to ask for our keys back as well," Gajeel got to the point.

"You too?" Lucy was a bit surprised.

"Don't take it the wrong way. We'll return. We just need to do more training like Wendy," Laxus clarified.

"We'll be back to hand our keys over again, Bunny Girl. We won't disappear forever," Gajeel added.

"Alright. I'll be here to accept your keys once again," Lucy handed over their keys.

"Be well, Bunny Girl!" Gajeel gave a small smile and they walked away from her and Lucy watched them for a small amount of time before turning and heading home once again.

When Lucy entered her home, she gave a heavy breath and collapsed on her bed, tears streaming down her face. "What's wrong, Lucy?" A voice behind her asked.

Lucy turned to see Natsu and she sobbed. Natsu crouched down and Lucy cried into his shirt. "Why did they have to leave, Natsu?" Lucy asked.

Natsu stayed silent, seeming uncomfortable to answer the question. Lucy continued to sob and Natsu finally answered her question. "It's because we thought we were all too weak to protect our owner so we'll leave while it's peaceful to get even stronger. Though, we'll all be back together and that's a promise," Natsu told her.

"Are you leaving too?" Lucy questioned, tears streaming from her eyes.

Natsu felt guilty for having to answer the question. "Unfortunately, yes. It was an agreement we came to. I'm sorry, Lucy. Though, I promise that we'll meet again in a year or so. So don't worry," Natsu gave his promise.

Lucy picked off his key from her ring, but looked at it, unable to give it to him. "Do you promise to return the key to me when we meet again?" Lucy questioned.

Natsu gave a small smile and answered, "Of course. If not, then I'll deeply regret it."

Lucy gave one last good look over the key before handing it over, wiping her tears from her face. "Alright, Return to me soon, alright?" Lucy told him.

"Of course," Natsu accepted his key back.

"See you in awhile and take care, Lucy!" Natsu told her and walked out of her house.

"Hopefully I'll get to see you all very soon again," Lucy whispered aloud.

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**Okay, I saw the stupid story stats for November 2014 and I didn't realize so many people loved my stories so I decided to work more and try even harder now! So, I hope you look forth to more chapters! Tell your friends that I'm coming back to being more active to those that like my stories ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail**

**Previously on The Diamond Keys: After Tartarus: After dealing with Sabertooth and showing who's the stronger guild, then dealing with Tartarus, the diamond keys have requested to be let go of so they can become stronger.**

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It's been a year since the events of Tartarus happened. With the things that happened, Lucy now lived in Crocus helping Jason as a news reporter. Fairy Tail had been disbanded by Makarov, driving people to sadness and protest. There had been no reasoning for why he did what he did. All of us were left to fend for ourselves. Lucy had never felt more defenseless than what she felt then. With the diamond keys gone the day before and then the guild being disbanded, she felt like she was fighting against the world all by herself without the help of her celestial friends.

Lucy wasn't able to find any information on any of the diamond keys, but she was slightly glad about that too as that meant they may have not been found. Though, she kept tabs on the other members of Fairy Tail.

She walked back to her place in Crocus after meeting up with Jason. "Oi, Bunny Girl, where are you off to?" Lucy was about to answer the question normally, but she turned around to see Gajeel standing there. "Gajeel?" Lucy wasn't expecting to see him first.

"What? You haven't seen Salamander first?" Gajeel asked her.

"No. Why would I have seen him?" Lucy asked Gajeel, very confused.

"I need to show him how much stronger I am than him!" Gajeel's answer was way out of lines than what Lucy originally thought.

"Of course that's why," Lucy face palmed.

"Though, seriously, the others haven't returned yet?" Gajeel questioned.

Lucy shook her head. "I didn't want to be the first one to return. Damn," Gajeel ruffled his hair.

Gajeel put his hand into his pocket. "Bunny Girl, give me your hand," Lucy hesitantly opened her hand to him.

Gajeel's hand was curled around something and it gave Lucy more chills. Gajeel opened his hand and the item dropped into Lucy's hand and she flinched, closing her eyes and looking away from her hand, slightly shaking. "Oi, Bunny Girl?" Gajeel questioned.

Lucy curled her hand around the object, feeling it being solid. Lucy opened her eyes and looked at what was in her hand, seeing it was Gajeel's key. "Your key?" Lucy was surprised.

"What else would it be?" Gajeel questioned.

"You seem like the type who would play a cruel joke," Lucy gripped Gajeel's key while pointing at him.

"You did tell us you would accept our keys again," Gajeel told her, dumbfounded.

Lucy's eye slightly twitched. "So, are you accepting my key, Bunny Girl?" Gajeel asked.

Lucy looked at the diamond key in her hand and sighed. "Yes, I'll accept your key back to me," Gajeel gave a 'gihii' before disappearing.

Lucy added Gajeel's key to her other keys, feeling a lot happier as she walked home. She felt a little more secure than she did before.

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**I'm back for you, people! How have you been? I hope you haven't missed me that much! It's great to be back! What are your guy's summer plans? I'm kind of packed with summer events, but that won't get in the way of updating here!**

**Sorry for a short chapter as well, though they may be pretty short for a bit.**


	3. From That Darn Author

**Warning: This is not a chapter as it contains lots of business, humor, apologizing, good news, bad news, and ants. Read this note at your own risk.**

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Hello, fellow human beings of Earth!

_First order of business:_

I sincerely apologize for not updating all this time and **I will accept any and all** rude and offensive remarks through PM and reviews and I will not complain. Though, I will also accept any and all kind remarks, as well, as... well... some of you are probably too kind to say something rude and mean to anyone. I won't name people, I just know there are people out there.

_Second order of business:_

**Where have I been.**

I'm sure that's the only question several of you have as I've been replying to comments and I always promise I'll update, but then I forget and then someone reminds me and I forget, etc. Well, here's your answer:

I have been sitting in my house, trying to crush writer's block with my very own hands for some stories.

Well, then there's those other things that I've been dealing with, as well. The ants, track practice, ants, track meets, ants, preparing to go to Florida, and did I mention ants?

Yeah, so... this is what I've been doing for the past month. I hope you all are having a much better time than me... and I guess a better time than the ants that I've killed, as well.

_Third order of business:_

I have good news!... and bad news, as well. Read whichever one first as some prefer to read them in certain ways, but neither news will change.

**Good News:** Tomorrow, I'm going to be updating at least three chapters for the following stories:

A Dragon Among The Straw Hats

The Diamond Keys: After Tartarus

Life In Fairy Tail

**Bad News:** I am going to Florida and I will not be posting chapters over the course of the two weeks I am there. The up side on this is that when I get back, I'll attempt to write much more. If I don't post on anything on August 6th, you are allowed to annoy me with PMs and reviews and you must say that you were approved to annoy me by my past self. If you can't remember to do that, then put it on your calendars! Set yourself a reminder or something!

**More Bad News: **The ant attacks have been really bad this season and I am the culprit of over a couple hundred ant deaths. Your author has now been put on trial by the great ant judge and jury to determine if she's innocent or guilty. If she is guilty, she shall be charged with mass ant murdering and using a weapon of mass destruction: ant-killing spray.

_Fourth order of business:_

I'm going to Florida and if you're just reading this after I just posted it, then I'm leaving in less than three days! And I'll be there for two weeks!

**Reasons why I'm going:**

Escaping my ant problems

Going to the track and field National Junior Olympics

Getting away from ants

Going somewhere for my birthday

NO MORE ANT PROBLEMS!... for 2 weeks -.-

Visiting Florida

And just not having to deal with ants that, according to my uncle, are the size of house cats

On my trip to Florida, I have decided that I'll be making a small journal that will be posted on Wattpad and DeviantArt and it'll be posted on daily as I talk about the day's events. I will also be answering questions about me, my trip, characters that are I have created*, and the future of some of my stories. I will add my favorite questions to my journal entries, but I will answer all questions, regardless if they make it on to the journals or not. For further information on this and where to send your questions in to, you can find on my profile.

_Fifth item of business:_

How have all of you been doing? I realize that you all know how I'm doing, but I should be a bit more polite and ask how have all of you been doing.

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Without further notice, I really am sorry for not updating earlier and you can view the _first item of business_ to determine what you'd like to tell me.

I hope you will all enjoy the chapters I will be posting up and if you've forgotten which those are, you can find them under the _third order of business_.

I also do hope that you check out my journal (_fourth order of business_) and ask lots of questions and again, my profile will have all the places where you can send in your questions.

I really hope you took my warning seriously at the beginning because I'm already being charged by the ant courts and I really don't want to be also charged with the mass murder of people through words by humor. Though, I guess I would be happier to make several individuals laugh to their deaths and put me in courts.

So, without further interruptions,

I will allow you to leave your reviews of calling me a pig and PM-ing me how much I suck to you and allow you all to get on with your day.

From your fellow human being of Earth,

~The World Of Rabbitleap~


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